Qingdao’s fortuitous location at the southern tip of the Shandong peninsula has always suggested that this seaside city would play an important role in China’s heritage. As far back as 600 BC, Qingdao began attracting visitors after the famed Chinese scholar Lao-Tzu created the religion of Taoism in the neighbouring Laoshan Mountains. From this moment, the area instantly became a major centre of spiritual mystique as thousands of people flocked to the hills in search of enlightenment. The small fishing town of Qingdao, 20 miles away, continued to slowly but steadily evolve into one of China’s main shipping and industrial cities, a role which it still holds today.